Advice for setting up a local meet-up group
Nick S
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Hi all -
A few of us were planning to start a P2PF/Commons Transition meet-up in Edinburgh. I was wondering if anyone had done this before elsewhere and/or had any advice to offer? So far it hasn't really been announced, and is in very early stages of planning. I got so far as creating a Loomio group P2P Scotland and a proposed initial date.
Beyond that I simply wanted to announce it and seek the general blessings from P2P people here - for example, is it OK to use the P2P logos and the name, etc? Is there any general support you can offer to local groups?
Note, I say Edinburgh, but it might be branded as more of a Scotland-wide affair, since the few people interested so far are distributed outside Edinburgh (Glasgow and Falkirk/Edinburgh I believe). This larger catchment area obviously means there may be more people who might register their interest, but then poses problems as the physical meet-ups need to be in one place or another.
Cheers!
Nick
Liam Murphy Tue 27 Feb 2018 11:36PM
PS - have set up ‘Culturebanking Norfolk’ Meetup as well - focussing on Cultural Commons FYI...
Gordon Martin Thu 1 Mar 2018 4:51PM
Someone on scuttlebutt ( https://www.scuttlebutt.nz ) brought this post to my attention. I'm based in Glasgow, but I'd be happy to travel to Edinburgh for a cool meetup on these topics :)
Nick S Fri 2 Mar 2018 10:21AM
I'd be glad if you can make it safely through the snow! Also, @roryg tells me there are a few people he knows in Glasgow interested in this group, but I don't know them personally.
Presumably SSB users are naturally aligned with P2P, and I am personally hunting for local people interested in Holochain or P2P finance. I know Chris Cook (T: @cjenscook) lives in the area and knows about these things, have yet to contact him.
Nick S Fri 2 Mar 2018 10:25AM
ps. We'll be posting any updates on the thread here
Michel Bauwens Fri 2 Mar 2018 10:08AM
personally, despite the fact that many different transition groups operate, I do find it important that the p2p/commons narrative is a core part of the transition story and practice, therefore, personally, I would rejoice with a specific p2p initiative (my model is the commons transition coalition in melbourne and australia), such as Nick is proposing. This is not to replace and compete with other transition practices, but to complete them with a specific perspective,
Michel
Michel Bauwens Mon 5 Mar 2018 7:02AM
thanks for the update!
Simon Grant Wed 14 Mar 2018 8:31AM
Not sure where to propose this, but following the sense of the discussion in the P2P Scotland group, I'd like to suggest setting up a new Loomio group, perhaps as a subgroup of this one, to discuss what to do specifically in the UK to broaden the information commons around P2P / CT in the UK, and to help scaffold the formation of local/regional groupings, if there is a need for that. I've started a proposal in the P2P Scotland group.
Any opinions or further guidance on this? Happy to adapt if the wisdom of the collective points in a better direction! :)
Julien Lecaille Wed 14 Mar 2018 8:43AM
In France we have created a whole wiki to trace and document various local activites aroud the CT and P2P local networks. It's based on "Commons Assemblies" and "town in Commons" http://wiki.lescommuns.org (only in French, sorry). English link : https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/100-women-co-creating-p2p-society-maia-dereva/2016/05/30
mike_hales Thu 15 Mar 2018 9:46AM
I would welcome a UK-focused group @asimong. Not just to broaden the information commons, but to offer an updating map of its structure and goings-on - groupings, geographical locations, resources, newsfeeds and events, reflections on various practices, whatever. I appreciate your rationale in your earlier posting regarding 'pooled' conversations and cooperation versus many overlapping venues.
For myself, this wouldn't be my primary locus of activism, but I would be very glad to have a focused P2P/CT 'place' in the UK, for listening to and messaging to, from my own main arena (civil economy and 'beyond fragments' libertarian socialism).
I'm inclined to follow the earlier reasoning of Michel Bauwens. Maybe check out the Aussie way of organising and make some direct Aussie connections?
Liam Murphy · Wed 28 Feb 2018 12:28AM
Well, after writing the above article, I mentioned the idea of some sort of symposia to Kevin Murphy at Voluntary Arts - with a view to finding partners in hosting such a thing. He has asked for more details and so have a few others. I said I would put out a similar call to yours. One thing i am interested in doing is finding help in approaching local organisations like local authorities, LEP's and infrastructure orgs to begin to define a 'position' and to get the issue of Commons onto their agendas. Happy to chat sometime if you'd like...